Linux-Misc Digest #183, Volume #19 Fri, 26 Feb 99 00:13:10 EST
Contents:
Re: Best Free Unix? (why FreeBSD?) (Frank Sweetser)
Re: Frequent Bus Error in using Netscape (Jim Jowski)
PPP won't finish connecting! (Dave)
scsi problem (Alain MEVEL)
Re: Consumer Poll Says Microsoft Is Good For Consumers (Jim Frost)
Re: Network adapters on laptops (Robert Heller)
Re: boot my existing linux from hda3 (Dr Paul Kinsler)
Re: Creating animated GIFs under Linux (Edward Vigmond)
Re: Mail client for Linux (Johan Kullstam)
Re: Kernel 2.0.36, compile fails on objdump program (Philip Wall / Wild Card)
adding size to the linux partition (Robert Crosbee)
Re: KDE? Gnome? ... confused (Michael Neverdosky)
OpenWin: Where to find icons (Geb)
Re: Can Linux use 36-bit Xeon addressing? (mike burrell)
Re: Linux is not even in Windows 9X's class. (Chris Costello)
Re: desktop indepenent xinfo browser (Edward Vigmond)
RedHat 5.2 --> 2.2 Kernel (Brandon)
Re: Best Free Unix? (why FreeBSD?) (void)
Re: Should IBM port Visual Age for Java to Linux? ("Bob Jarvis")
Re: More bad news for NT ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Re: Best Free Unix? (why FreeBSD?) (John Girash)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Frank Sweetser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To:
comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Best Free Unix? (why FreeBSD?)
Date: 24 Feb 1999 09:34:22 -0500
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (John S. Dyson) writes:
> You really miss the point about the GPL being against the little guy
> software developer. You are on the end of the foodchain, and very
> nicely profit from it. Once it is clear about your position, your
> arguments become less interesting.
uh, john, i think you're missing the point many others have made here -
*** it's not just about the money ***
some of us release our software under GPL because we think the software is
usefull, want to ensure that it will be freely availible, and that all
improvements will stay that way, and don't give a damn about anybody making
money off of it.
--
Frank Sweetser rasmusin at wpi.edu fsweetser at blee.net | PGP key available
paramount.ind.wpi.edu RedHat 5.2 kernel 2.2.1 i586 | at public servers
: 1. What is the possibility of this being added in the future?
In the near future, the probability is close to zero. In the distant
future, I'll be dead, and posterity can do whatever they like... :-) --lwall
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 06:54:15 -0800
From: Jim Jowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Frequent Bus Error in using Netscape
On Wed, 24 Feb 1999, Dave Oshel wrote:
> Fung Wai Keung wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I frequent encounter bus error in using netscape 4.08 or 4.5 in
> > RedHat 4.2. I've re-installed netscape several times and the situation
> > happens. How to avoid the bus error?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Regards,
> > Wai Keung, Fung
> >
> > Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering,
> > The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
> > Shatin, N.T.,
> > Hong Kong.
> >
> > Tel: (852)26098470 Fax: (852)26036002
>
> I get frequent bus errors with Netscape Communicator 4.5 if I try to
> mess with 2-char fonts (such as Shift-JIS). Not sure what the issue is,
> but it seems to be a NS problem.
>
> --
> David C. Oshel [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Cedar Rapids, Iowa http://pobox.com/~dcoshel
> First snow, then silence.\
> This thousand dollar screen dies\
> so beautifully. -- Anonymous
I had similar problems when using a Cyrix CPU on an ABIT motherboard
that was "supposed to" support a 75mHz bus speed. When I bit the
bullet and throttled back to 66mHz, the problem went away. I wasn't
overclocking, just trying to use the cpu at the rated speed.
Jim
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Dave)
Subject: PPP won't finish connecting!
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 15:08:15 GMT
I installed RH5.2 and KDE 1.0 (Mandrake distro) several weeks ago. I've got
pretty much everything working except kPPP.
Using the "terminal" option, I can dial up my ISP, fill in the username and
password, and then it says "starting pppd..." but never finishes off the
connection. kPPP just sits there on "Logging on to network.." until it times
out.
However, "tail /var/log/messages" produces:
kernel: PPP line discipline registered
kernel: registered device PPP0
which looks to me like the PPP device *is* being started. Also, if I then try
to close the kPPP window, it says "Exiting kPPP will close your PPP session.
Exit? [Yes/No]"
What's going on? I've tried terminal mode, PAP, and scripting, and they all
result in the same thing-- "logging on to network..." but it can't quite seem
to finish. What am I missing?
Any ideas? It seems like i'm *almost* there, and i'd really love to get my
dial-in working.
Thanks in advance,
Dave Lehman
([EMAIL PROTECTED])
------------------------------
From: Alain MEVEL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: scsi problem
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 15:38:44 +0100
I'm doing a big backup every night on a 4mm DAT (scsi).
Often I get the message
Feb 22 21:18:58 groslulu kernel: scsi : aborting command due to timeout
: pid 40
10949, scsi0, channel 0, id 4, lun 0 Write (6) 00 00 28 00 00
Feb 22 21:18:58 groslulu kernel: SCSI host 0 abort (pid 4010949) timed
out - res
etting
Feb 22 21:18:58 groslulu kernel: SCSI bus is being reset for host 0
channel 0.
Feb 22 21:18:58 groslulu kernel: (scsi0:0:0:0) Synchronous at 40.0
Mbyte/sec, of
fset 15.
Feb 22 21:18:58 groslulu kernel: (scsi0:0:1:0) Synchronous at 40.0
Mbyte/sec, of
fset 15.
Feb 22 21:18:58 groslulu kernel: (scsi0:0:4:0) Synchronous at 10.0
Mbyte/sec, of
fset 32.
And my backup ended.
I'm using RedHat linux 2.0.36.
Is there a patch to solve this problem ?
Thanks
--
===============================================================================================
Alain MEVEL, TNI, Technopole Brest Iroise,
Z.I. Pointe du Diable, CP1 29608- Brest Cedex, FRANCE
phone: +33 2 98 05 27 44 , fax: +33 2 98 05 63 50
http://www.tni.fr/ ftp://ftp.tni.fr/
===============================================================================================
------------------------------
From: Jim Frost <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: Consumer Poll Says Microsoft Is Good For Consumers
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 09:16:00 -0500
> Hrm... I think it could be argued that the fourth and final point (forcing
> MS to stop bullying OEMs into exclusive Windows distribution deals) is the
> most reasonable and acheivable.
> It's also really one of the strongest examples of thier anti-competative
> behavior. With all due respect, the others are kinda silly. :-)
Unfortunately it was what they attempted, and failed, to do with the consent
decree.
The problem was that Microsoft was still able to effectively use a per-CPU
pricing model -- but only within model lines. Well, if all the model lines
have that model then it works out the same way.
Consider having the government mandate a flat pricing model -- same price for
everyone. That eliminates the sledgehammer Microsoft has been using to coerce
vendors into doing things.
jim
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Network adapters on laptops
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Robert Heller)
Date: 25 Feb 1999 16:11:19 -0500
[EMAIL PROTECTED],
In a message on Thu, 25 Feb 1999 18:53:02 GMT, wrote :
s> Hi mates!
s>
s> While installing Linux (Redhat 5.2) on a laptop (i.e. Dell Latitude) it does
s> never probe correctly for the NIC thus it does not actually let it be
s> installed correctly.
s>
s> Nevertheless, after booting the system and using the netcfg (or the graphic
s> interface) if I activate the card (eth0) it works. I tried quite a few 3com
s> and ne2000 types of cards - old and newest.
s>
s> Does anybody know what is the proper procedure of defining a network adapter
s> (lan) after the system has booted??
It depends on the type of network set up you have. In many places, due
to the 'transient' nature of laptops (people plug them in, work for a
while, unplug them and take them elsewhere and plug them in again), most
often laptops are set up to use one or more dhcp servers. I am not sure
how this works. You can set things up to use a 'regular' statis IP
number, in which case it is much the same as for a desktop NIC.
s>
s> I still don't understand how it is identified without being configured, while
s> the installation process both by probing or even by specifying parameters
s> would not work.
It is a known (?) problem with RedHat's install script that you can't
install RedHat Linux via a PCMCIA card (i.e. over the net or from a
an external CD-ROM drive). Once the system is installed, PCMCIA cards
are supported just fine.
s>
s> Cheers
s> Shay Tochner
s> International Systems Support Specialist
s>
s> -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
s> http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
s>
--
\/
Robert Heller ||InterNet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://vis-www.cs.umass.edu/~heller || [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.deepsoft.com /\FidoNet: 1:321/153
------------------------------
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.setup
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Dr Paul Kinsler)
Subject: Re: boot my existing linux from hda3
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 15:17:27 +0000 (GMT)
In comp.os.linux.misc kuma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> i currently have this problem. I have a 17 gb harddrive, i partitioned it to
> be four, one primary one extend, two for linux. When i was installing redhat
> [...]
Try booting into dos; then use loadlin to boot into linux.
--
==============================+==============================
Dr. Paul Kinsler
Institute of Microwaves and Photonics
University of Leeds (ph) +44-113-2332089
Leeds LS2 9JT (fax)+44-113-2332032
United Kingdom [EMAIL PROTECTED]
WEB: http://www.ee.leeds.ac.uk/staff/pk/P.Kinsler.html
------------------------------
From: Edward Vigmond <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Creating animated GIFs under Linux
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 15:51:23 GMT
Neil Zanella wrote:
>
> Is there a free tool for Linux that allows you to compose (rather
than just
> view with xv) animated gif files.
>
> Is it possible to edit gif files directly as ordinary files?
>
> How do people make those animated gifs?
ImageMagick has animated gif support.
--
Ed Vigmond
Institut de Genie Biomedical, Universite de Montreal
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: Johan Kullstam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: uk.comp.os.linux,alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Mail client for Linux
Date: 25 Feb 1999 10:51:34 -0500
[EMAIL PROTECTED] () writes:
> On Fri, 19 Feb 1999 23:48:57 +0000, Matthew Malthouse
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> >Marco Tephlant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >} No, quite right but having to use Netscape just to read POP3 mail (and
> >not even
> >} multiple accounts at that) is ridiculous. I have more than one POP3
> >account
> >} (like
> >} the person who started the thread) so it's not much use as an Email
> >client, and
> >} isnt even very good at what it's main job is supposed to be - Web
> >browsing!
i use fetchmail to poll my pop3 accounts and bring the mail to me via
qmail. once i have my mail locally and in a standard unix format, i
have my choice of mail user agents (MUA). i can use netscape, mutt,
pine, elm, mailx, gnus &c.
i recommend the combination of fetchmail with any mail transport agent
(MTA) but sendmail. good ones are (but not limited to) qmail, exim,
smail. qmail is secure, and has a faq which explains most mails
setups with examples.
imho sendmail is too complex and arcane in its operation. no mailer
should need a thousand plus pages book to explain itself. if you can
get sendmail to work for you, more power too you. i decided it was
easier to switch MTA and learn that than try to figure out sendmail.
--
johan kullstam
------------------------------
From: Philip Wall / Wild Card <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Kernel 2.0.36, compile fails on objdump program
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 19:58:41 -0600
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Johan Kullstam wrote:
>
> Philip Wall / Wild Card <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>
> > Hello,
> > I'm having a bit of a problem getting kernel 2.0.36 to compile. I'll
> > paste in the error at the bottom of this message.
>
> i'll bet you upgraded your binutils. i know because this happened to
> me and i tore my hair out for a day or two until i figured it out.
>
> follow the advice in the release notes and
>
> rm /usr/bin/encaps
>
> really.
>
> the kernel makefile uses (rather stupidly since it is far from
> foolproof as you've just discovered) the presense of encaps to
> determine the binutils version. get rid of encaps and the makefile
> will call the appropriate program with the right options.
>
> hope this helps.
>
> --
> johan kullstam
That did the trick, thanks. And yes I updated binutils for another
reason.
But I don't remember seeing that in the release notes for binutils but
hey you never know, I probably missed it. :) Thanks again.
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Name: Philip Wall
Handle: Wild Card
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Thought of the day:
When does summertime come to Minnesota, you ask? Well, last year, I
think it was a Tuesday.
------------------------------
From: Robert Crosbee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: adding size to the linux partition
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 09:20:14 -0500
Im looking to increase my partition size in linux. Is there any way to
do this without trashing everything?
------------------------------
From: Michael Neverdosky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.setup,linux.redhat.misc,linux.redhat.rpm
Subject: Re: KDE? Gnome? ... confused
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 10:57:02 +0000
Matt O'Toole wrote:
> >How exactly would that work? Are you suggesting the installation create
> two
> >accounts, in addition to root, called something like John and Jane? Now
> >>>that's<< ridiculous...
>
> Why?
It is a security hole.
This means that any default system has user names and passwords that are
known
to anyone who has ever tried the distribution.
New users don't know to remove these users (or at least change the
passwords)
increasing the risks to the system.
I am very much in favor of a 'novice' install that walks a new user
through the
instalation and gives a tutorial and demo to show how things work.
Unfortunately, I am not yet up to the task of writing such a thing. :-(
michael
------------------------------
From: Geb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.x
Subject: OpenWin: Where to find icons
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 23:44:40 -0500
In OpenWin (e.g. from Slackware distribution), how do I change the icon
of
an application, e.g. Netscape, if it has its own? Thanks.
Geb.
------------------------------
From: mike burrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Can Linux use 36-bit Xeon addressing?
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.hardware
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 15:57:35 GMT
In comp.os.linux [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
| Intel Xeon processor + NX chipset can support up to 8GB DRAM. Is there any
| Linux support for this? If not, does anyone know if it's in the works?
AFAIK, Linux has a 4GB virtual RAM limitation at the moment. Sorry.
--
m i k e b u r r e l l
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://mikpos.dyndns.org
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Chris Costello)
Crossposted-To: alt.linux,alt.os.linux,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject: Re: Linux is not even in Windows 9X's class.
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 04:52:36 GMT
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Matthias Warkus wrote:
>> 1. Better GUI
>
>Hmph. Depends on how you define a GUI and what kind of GUI you are
>using on Linux.
You can't say "Better GUI" - his first argument has been rendered pointless.
There is no "GUI for Linux" - there are many X window managers.
>
>> 2. More software
>
>Certainly.
But is all of this extra software useful?
>
>> 3. More Hardware support
>
>Yes, but oh so crappy drivers...
Windows users think Quantity is better than Quality.
>
>> 4. Better gaming platform
>> (shudder)
>
>Not for long anymore <snicker GGI snicker PenguinPlay snicker lots of
>ports laugh laugh snicker>
>
>> 5. More consistency (see my previous post)
>
>Hmph.
"Heh" is a better response.
>
>> 6. One word: Microkernel
>
>Can mean a performance penalty.
Microkernel? How big is the 9x/NT kernel? I mean kernel32.dll and whatever
else it uses to survive.
>
>> 7. No mounting
>
>This is a disadvantage as it easily can mess up removable media and it
>means a huge file system throughput penalty.
<sarcasm>
Oh, but you don't have to do all those MOUNT commands, UGH!
</sarcasm>
>
>> 8. Better file locking
>
>I don't know jack about this one.
Windows locks files when they are being written to. This renders things like
tail(1) useless.
>> 9. More multithreaded apps
>
>Yes, perhaps, but Linux applications are increasingly based on
>multithreaded support libraries, too.
Multithreading is not always important.
>> 10. Better user support
>
>No.
That's a ridiculous comment. Windows has no user support. NT has very
little, enough to make it almost impossible for one user to read another's
data.
>
>mawa
>--
>"Life: it's been hit or miss since I lost the manual."
> -- Michael Bonnell
--
"In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the
universe."
-- Carl Sagan, Cosmos
------------------------------
From: Edward Vigmond <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: desktop indepenent xinfo browser
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 16:00:59 GMT
Matthias Warkus wrote:
>
> It was the Tue, 23 Feb 1999 11:25:44 -0330...
> ..and Neil Zanella <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I am looking for a desktop independent graphical info browser for info files
> > analogous to xman. Is there any such program out there which was not
> > developed for any particular desktop?
>
> Nothing is "dependent" on a particular "desktop". gnome-help-browser
> or kdehelp will happily run without any other component of KDE or
> Gnome running.
This is true but these last programs are so intertwined in the desktop
that to run the program, one must install about 20 libraries. Then there
is the nightmare if one tries to upgrade one component of the desktop.
Upgrading gimp, for example, requires the newest libgtk etc., (which are
released weekly iot seems) which then break the old gnome-help-browser
which then requires reloading the entire deskset again.
--
Ed Vigmond
Institut de Genie Biomedical, Universite de Montreal
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: Brandon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: cmp.os.linux.setup
Subject: RedHat 5.2 --> 2.2 Kernel
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 18:37:00 -0700
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I have a RedHat 5.2 box that I need to upgrade to the 2.2 kernel to
increase my file handle limits (and other improvements, of course).
I heard RedHat has some instructions to do this and isn't 5.2 supposed
to be 2.2 ready? I can't find anything on their site though, and I am
hoping the experience of this group can provide me some fairly simple
instructions to do this. I am not a pro, but I have recompiled the
kernel a time or two.
If you can help, PLEASE.
Thanks/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (void)
Crossposted-To:
comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Best Free Unix? (why FreeBSD?)
Date: 25 Feb 1999 12:45:43 GMT
On Thu, 25 Feb 1999 11:55:59 +0000, Jason Clifford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
>No, the issue is that *you* seem to feel that you have some God given
>right to deny others the right to choose GPL is they wish to.
In a previous posting, you said:
>Once again, John, you are deliverately mis-representing someone else's
>postings.
>
>That is typical of a TROLL.
Physician, heal thyself.
--
Ben
"You have your mind on computers, it seems."
------------------------------
From: "Bob Jarvis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.lang.smalltalk
Subject: Re: Should IBM port Visual Age for Java to Linux?
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 07:41:30 -0500
Peter Hatch wrote in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>The purpose of stating the press release
>the way it was stated was to gauge public opinion about the option of
>re-introducing runtimes for certain customers (also to see if the 90%
>price reduction could justify runtimes or a deployment license). We
>shall see...
I don't know what other feedback you're getting, but I'm not interested in
paying for a runtime license. I'd rather use Smalltalk, but if it's a
choice between Smalltalk and runtime fees or something else without runtime
fees I'll probably choose "something else". C++ on Linux is cheap.
--
Bob Jarvis
Mail address hacked to foil spammers!
Remove "ob" from address to reply
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Crossposted-To: alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.linux.advocacy,alt.linux
Subject: Re: More bad news for NT
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 12:39:45 GMT
In article <7avgku$885$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
"Jon Wiest" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Pablo Perez wrote in message <7aue0r$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >>floor" that's pure exageration. Sure, Linux does some great things, why
> >>else would I devote a hard drive to it? But it also does some really
> >stupid
> >>things.
> >
> >I would like you to tell us some of that stupids things you say Linux does
> >in order to fix them.
> >I could tell you some stupid things that Windoze does but, anyway, you wont
> >be able to fix them, sorry.
> >
> >Pablo.
>
> Yes you could tell me all the stupid things that Windows does, and the list
> is different depending on the version. What's more, I'd agree! I'm not
> here to slam Linux, in fact I think it's great, but it ain't perfect, and
> boy is everybody touchy when you say that. I see these newsgroups filled
> with questions, and you don't think Linux can do some stupid things? Just
> read and you can make your own list. That doesn't mean Windows doesn't have
> its own list.
>
> This isn't an "either/or" situation, one can run both, and for damn good
> reason. I'm just sick of having to read through all the I-hate-MS
> fanaticism to get to some real tech meat.
>
> Jon
Well said. I like Linux, i use it every day to study and to develop my
programming skills, but I'm working every day with Inprise Delphi (wich is
good money). Delphi is just beautifull (the ease to develop high quality
business apps), but i can't say that to most linux-users i know. They prefer
to use Gtk wich is good, but can't beat Delphi on application quality. I
prefer not to discuss development time :-).
Use Linux, use it well. If you are happy with it and your neighbour is happy
with Windows, who the f*ck carez !!! Get a life ... or something like that.
Life is more than this you know ...
============= Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ============
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John Girash)
Crossposted-To:
comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Best Free Unix? (why FreeBSD?)
Date: 26 Feb 1999 03:00:12 GMT
drwho <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>Just for a little "insight" into the BSD vs. GPL argument, please have a
>look at http://www.xnet.com/~drwho/share/lit/gpl.html for a little something
>I threw together on the subject.
Pretty good reading. I'd like to point out that there are distinctions to
be made here: first, in the analysis there is confusion between what the
GPL _says_ legally and what its authors _intend_; the former is really all
that matters, but the latter is what's largely being complained about here.
And second, there is the distinction between what it says is the case and
what is admissable in court. Again, only what's actually legal matters.
As many have pointed out, the argument that once code is GPL'd the original
author(s) are not free to release under another licence is spurious. Yes,
in practice it'd be tough to get all permissions for a mature, distributed
project, but in many other cases it's trivial. The licence only applies
once the code has been distributed; an author does not distribute code to
him- or herself unless he or she _explicitly_ turns over rights to the code
to another. (If this were not the case, why would FSF try so hard to _get_
authors to explicitly turn over their rights to FSF?!)
As for the bit about the infection of "derived works": assuming you only
use pristine(*) GPL code and want to simply link it to your own, that's rather
trivial in terms of legality. Your work is not a derived work, it's merely
interfacing with some GPL'd routines. (This is midly inconvenient perhaps,
in that it places severe but well-defined restrictions on distributing
_statically-linked_ executables, but then again the BSD advertising clause
is mildly inconvenient as well). The drwho webpage may or may not be
correct about how FSF feels regarding this, but that doesn't change the
legal position. (Of course, until court-tested the lawyers could have a
field day arguing over this sort of thing, the language is so imprecise).
I guess my point is this: the FSF surely has a political agenda. The GPL
is surely a result of that agenda. But as a legal document, it stands on
its own and is not interpreted in the light of that agenda. drwho admits
as much early in his analysis, but then goes on to confuse the two
throughout. Frankly I argree with just about everything he says. I just
don't agree that much of it is relevent. (GPL.ne.FSF) .
jg
(*) even this is sufficient but my no means necessary. Sure, any modified
code would have to be GPL'd, but you'd only need to write enough of that
so that the original GPL'd routines interfaced with your own non-GPL'd
ones such as they required.
--
"don't listen when you're told / about the best days in your life : Spirit of
a useless old expression, it means / passing time until you die." : the West
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- John Girash --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- http://skyron.harvard.edu/ --
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